String Theory_ Cohesion (Book 1) - Jeffrey Lang [25]
“The Yamamato of Earth,” Tuvok cited, nodding. “Or the Ki’tai of Severus VI.”
“Exactly.”
“And this could have developed into some kind of psionic ability?” Chakotay asked.
“More likely the other way around,” Janeway said. “They survived and became a successful hunting species because of the psionic ability.” She gave her security chief an approving nod. “Thank you, Tuvok. Good work.”
The human captain and two of her hara—her crew—were standing at the opposite side of the bridge discussing Ziv and his hara. Not just his hara, but his entire species. While their conversation did not bother him, he was surprised that they should converse in such close quarters. He was even a bit insulted, until he considered that these aliens might not possess hearing as acute as his people’s.
Another, more disturbing thought hit him then: Perhaps she knew precisely how good a Monorhan’s hearing was. Perhaps she wanted Ziv to hear what they were saying. Psionic. The word held a very specific meaning for the aliens, especially the brown one with pointed ears; Ziv grasped the general concept, though the specifics were vague. Simply put, the aliens knew that he and his hara could bind their minds in a way that the Voyagers could not.
“Captain?” The voice came from over their heads, and for a moment Ziv thought one of his hara was contacting him subvocally.
“Go ahead, B’Elanna,” Captain Janeway said. “We’re all here.”
Ah, the engineer.
“We’re ready to lock on with the tractor beam and try this out. I can’t promise how fast we’ll go under the circumstances, but even with just the impulse engines…”
“Understood, B’Elanna. Do your best. And, B’Elanna?”
“Yes?”
“When we get out of the disruptive area, do you think you could extend the warp field to include the Monorhan vessel?”
The engineer did not respond immediately, and Ziv imagined her consulting the oracle of her engines. Presently, she said, “We’ll have to move at a leisurely pace, Captain. Nothing more stressful than warp two, I’d say.”
Captain Janeway glanced at the pilot, who appeared to be plotting a course. “Agreed, Captain. Warp two point one, to be precise. Should take us about four days at that speed.”
Ziv thrummed involuntarily and felt his hara’s responses in his inner ear. Four days! Their collective exhilaration threatened to hammer him into unconsciousness, and he had to signal them all to silence. The Voyagers were staring at them all intently, and the one named Tuvok was massaging his forehead. When he had his thoughts under control again, Ziv looked at Captain Janeway, who asked, “Would that be acceptable, Captain Ziv?”
Ziv stared at her in stunned silence for several seconds, then settled on what he felt was an appropriate response. “We are all in your debt, Captain. I do not know what turn of fortune brought this encounter, but I am eternally grateful. I could not be sure how many of these passengers would survive the crossing, but now all will.”
“We’re happy to help,” Captain Janeway said, and Ziv could see in her eyes that these were not merely words. All around them, he could feel the goodwill of her crew. Bowing his head, Ziv wondered what he had done to deserve such kindness, then cast aside the question as unworthy. The Blessed All-Knowing Light taught that this life is fraught with difficulty and that compassion is a gift that should never be refused.
Quoting the Texts, Ziv said only, “ ‘The universe is kinder than any of us has any reason to expect.’ ”
This seemed to please the captain, and she turned away from Ziv smiling. “B’Elanna?” she called. “Ready when you are.”
The pilot put the image of Ziv’s ship up on the large viewscreen. Through his feet and deep in the pit of his gut, Ziv sensed the first of a series of deep throbs, the vessel’s great engines coming to life. And not the transluminal engines, he thought, shaking his head